Marine Debris Removal Efforts Become National Agenda: Ministry

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong said a solid marine debris handling and reduction activity held as part of a series of events for commemorating Forester Service Day must become a regular program.

He joined a coastal clean-up activity at Teluknaga Sub-district, Tangerang District, Banten Province, to commemorate the day.

The activity was conducted simultaneously at other six locations across Indonesia.

The deputy minister said that the national solid marine debris reduction movement must be carried out in collaboration with local governments, the private sector, and the community.

The Indonesian Government has taken various strategic steps to reduce marine debris by 30 percent and handle 70 percent of it by 2025, he added.

"We have been monitoring the amounts of marine debris in Indonesia since 2017. In 2021, it was found that 40 percent of waste found at beaches was plastic waste. Hence, the matter must be immediately addressed by all parties," he urged.

The national coastal-clean up activity is a part of the government’s concrete strategies for responding to the new challenge of maintaining marine ecosystems amid acute plastic and microplastic waste pollution, he said.

"The marine debris handling movement is also being carried out globally since the matter has become a global problem," he added.

Dohong informed that plastic waste is the most common waste found in the waters. The weight of plastic waste found in waters reaches around 1,432 gram/square meter (gr/m2) — or 44 percent of the total waste — and totaling 162.17 pieces/square meter (pcs/m2).

Meanwhile, glass and ceramic waste is the next highest in terms of volume, weighing up to 498.98 gr/m2 -- or 15 percent of the total waste — and totaling 55.78 pcs/m2.

"Plastic bags and fast-food containers were the most commonly found trash in 2021," the deputy minister added.

ANTARA